8-Start for Wood Bay-p3

The iron runners had been fitted to
the 10-foot sledge while at Cape Adare, and tests carried out.

Priestley
in his book[i]
says:‘The last few days of August and
the first few days of September were again fully occupied with preparations for
sledging.These commenced with one
strenuous morning spent fitting the iron runners to the 10-foot sledge used on
the trial journey, and the test, which followed this innovation, was successful
beyond our wildest hopes.On the salt and
snowy surface of one of the brine lakes on the beach one man was able to pull
382 lb., and if this promise was fulfilled on the sea-ice surface, our
discomfort on the next journey would be halved’.

While
Griffith Taylor[ii]
says:‘Iron Runners were undoubtedly of
immense assistance to the Northern party on sticky sea ice.We tried them on rugged glacier ice and they
were useless, for they had “no” grip at all, and on any sort of slope would not
follow the traces, but simply slid down the “dip" of the ice’.

Was Levick’s group carrying more their fair share? It is hard to say without having seen what others wrote in their
diaries.However, both three-man parties
would be carrying the same camping and personal gear and food.Although Levick’s team had his photography
equipment, the other team had Campbell’s survey and Priestley’s geological
equipment.Any extra food, a decreasing
weight as the days passed, would, I assume, have been shared between the two
sledges.Even if Levick had more than
his share at the start of their journey, as they travelled the food would be
consumed, lightening his load. Campbell’s sledge, with the additions of
Priestley’s geological samples, would have an increasing load.

Now ready, they headed north-west to the
foothills between them and Mount Melbourne.Campbell's plan was to follow the ‘Melbourne’ Glacier to where it would
be possible to cross the lower slopes of Mount Melbourne into Wood Bay.

Lastest Addition

20 January 2012- Boomerang Glacier climb posted on the 100th anniversary of the actual climb on 20 January 1912.19 January 2012-Boomerang to Boomerang posted today ready for the posting tomorrow of the Boomerang Glacier climb by Priestley, Abbott, and Browning on the 100th anniversary.

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